In an apartment full of fabrics and boxes, Bola Adesiyan gets ready for her African Fashion Week runway show.
The new collection of the 26-year-old designer is inspired by the personal stories of her models, which speak of the desire to be free and authentic.
“It’s their story line — you don’t have to come to me and ask me for their story,” she says. “It’s a true story about themselves.”
Telling stories of wanting to be exactly who you are is important to Adesiyan. That’s how she got to Canada eight years ago.
In 2016, she left Nigeria as a rainbow refugee, someone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. In her hometown in Nigeria, she would not be accepted for who she is.
“It wasn’t safe at home, you go to prison because of who you are,” says the 26-year-old.
Since coming to Canada, she has become a designer and hopes her designs help show people that they can be comfortable in their own skin.
CBC Toronto caught up with Adesiyan to preview her newest collection.
For more stories about the experiences of black Canadians – from anti-black racism to success stories within the black community – check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
